Having gone undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara, the 6-foot-8, 260-pound big man originally joined the Suns on a 10-day contract in March 2016. He appeared in just 10 games the rest of the way, averaging 2.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 6.8 minutes per outing, but did enough to convince the team to sign him to a multi-year contract.

The Phoenix native who attended North High School and whose mother was recently named the Chief of Police in Phoenix saw an increased role this past season, playing in 47 games while averaging 7.4 points and 6.2 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per contest.

Williams really made an impression late in the season, as he took advantage of extra minutes by averaging 11.4 points and 9.1 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game after the All-Star break. He had done enough to solidify his role as a valuable NBA player, with ESPN’s Kevin Pelton going so far as to name him the 23rd-best free agent this offseason.

Getting regular playing time after the Suns shut down Tyson Chandler, Williams averaged 17.6 points and 14.8 rebounds per 36 minutes in his second NBA season. He’s one of the league’s best rebounders and a surprisingly effective shot-blocker at 6-foot-8.

Don’t be surprised if Williams forces his way into more playing time next season.